Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 for full disclaimers.

Author's Note: Just a note for my readers since more than one of you has asked. I know the name Carly doesn't fall within traditional Rohirric naming conventions. None of the Celtic or Anglo-Saxon names I found, so I moved on to ones of Teutonic origin. Carly means "womanly." That's why I picked it... not because it is becoming a trendy name in our own world.

Diola lle, my friends!

Pasha ToH... As you wish! More of your everyday hero.

Mercury Gray... Ah, glad you think it is getting better. I'd be worried if it were the other case. It does skirt the edge of cliché, but I think by sticking to more conventional medieval mores (which I'm trying to do a little), you are forced into more stereotypical gender roles. My goal is to only wet my toes in cliché, not drown in it... and I trust you to tell me if I'm getting TOO wet.

Evenstar Elanor... As always thank you for keeping me honest on the details I've overlooked in my haste to post. And I'm glad you liked the blood and pus. I hope the description was useful for your story.

Utsuri... Pleased you like it. I'll take a critique of "cute" – as I said at the start, that's pretty much what it is meant to be, a relatively pleasant, fairly simple slice of life story. There's a little more to come; hope you like that, too.

Chapter 3: A Father's Proposition

While Gamling told the King about first meeting Carly, his young wife was at Edoras, hurrying up the steps to Theoden's manor as best she could. She was still a few months away from giving birth, but she was finding that getting around wasn't quite as easy as it used to be. But Lady Eowyn had summoned her, and until the King returned, Eowyn ruled Edoras. As she walked down the hall, Carly took the edge of her sleeve and dabbed her eyes. Lady Eowyn was always so strong; Carly didn't want the King's niece to know she'd been crying.

Eowyn's eyes, however, were as sharp as ever. "Are you well, Carly?"

"Yes, Lady," she said and her voice quavered as tears welled up again.

"Why do you cry?" Eowyn took her by the hands and made Carly sit down.

"Before you summoned me, I was with Sibley... Hama's widow."

Eowyn's shoulders sagged. She had always been fond of Hama. He had been chief among the King's Men and had been unswervingly loyal to her uncle. She fondly remembered the gleam in Hama's eyes when he and Gamling threw Wormtongue down the stone stairs after Gandalf broke the evil spell that consumed the King.

"I'm sorry, my Lady," said Carly as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Eowyn was a Shieldmaiden and Carly was afraid the Lady would think less of her because of her tears.

"There's no need to be sorry. Come, Carly, let us put our minds to work. I need your help to prepare the Hall for the King's return. As the wife of one of the King's Men, you have duties here."

"Yes, my Lady."

Soon, Eowyn and Carly were pulling tapestries out of a storage area and rolling them out so they could be hung. It wasn't long before Carly, engrossed in her work, was humming and smiling to herself.

"What fond memory has chased your tears away?" asked Eowyn.

Carly blushed and pushed her braid back over her shoulder. "I was thinking about my husband," she said. "I will be very glad when he's home."

"How did you come to be married to Gamling? I did not pay as much attention to the court during these past few years as I should have." For a moment, Eowyn's thoughts ranged back over her uncle's decay under Grima's influence. Carly didn't notice the shadow that briefly skirted over Eowyn's face. She was already lost in her story.

"Well, my father started it all..."

Maccus walked slowly up to the table. It was late and the hall was mostly empty. Gamling was sitting at the table, picking at what was left of his dinner. He glanced up as Maccus sat down and mumbled a hello.

"How are you feeling, Maccus?" Gamling remembered Maccus when he was a Rider, before his horse fell on his leg during a battle. Since then, he'd devoted himself to being a smith in Edoras.

"Leg aches in the cold."

Gamling nodded and took another bite of the grouse. They were silent for a minute and Gamling wondered why Maccus had come. They were acquaintances, but he wouldn't really consider them friends.

"My daughter, Carly, took care of you when you were sick."

"She's a kind girl," answered Gamling. "She took good care of me."

"I'm an old man, Gamling," said Maccus, "and my bones tell me that my time on this world grows short. I would have her married before I die."

"Wise," said Gamling, "to have someone to take care of her once you're gone. What lad do you have in mind for her?" He still didn't understand why Maccus would talk to him about this.

"I was thinking of you."

Gamling choked on the mead he was drinking.

Maccus pressed on. "You're a good man, Gamling. You're the King's Man. She'd make you a good wife. Surely you can't say that you don't want someone who can keep your house... She's fond of you; every time she speaks of you, she smiles. Think about it, and if you come to our home, I would not object to Carly walking out with you." With that, Maccus stood up from the table, leaving a befuddled and speechless Gamling behind him. The next morning, Maccus let his daughter know what he'd done.

"You proposed a match with Gamling?" She blinked in surprise.

"I've been a selfish old man, Carly," said her father. "Many girls of Rohan are married – or at least matched – by the time they're sixteen. You're close to eighteen. There were times I could have matched you with someone, but I didn't. I didn't because I didn't want to be alone."

"Father..."

"You seem fond of Gamling," he said, pushing ahead. "I would like you to be pleased with this."

Carly sat down on the stool near the fire and stared into the flames. Maccus watched her, worried. As her father, it was his right to match her with any man he thought would be a suitable husband. He didn't, however, have any wish to force Carly into an unhappy marriage. He and his wife had two children when they were first married; Carly was their third and they'd had her after the other two were grown. Maccus' wife died when Carly was twelve and she had been taking care of Maccus and his home ever since. But someday he would be gone and without him, it would be much harder for his daughter to make a good match.

"Gamling would make a good husband." Carly sounded very practical. "He is older, but he seems kind, and he is the King's Man." She looked up at her father. "If he is willing, I wouldn't object to such a match."

Maccus sighed. "I told Gamling he should come and walk out with you if he's interested." He hesitated. He hadn't gotten a response from Gamling, so he didn't know if the King's Man would come or not.

Two days later, there was a knock at the door, and when Carly answered, Gamling stood outside.

Thus ends the next chapter in the courtship of Gamling and his wife. Hope you're still enjoying it. Please read/review and let me know what you think.